‘Period Parrrty’ Tamil queerness and non-binary come centre stage…
Kali Theatre presents debut play celebrating Tamil experience…
THE WRITER Gayathiri Kamalakanthan says in the programme note to their play, ‘Period Parrrty’ that the idea for the show came from attending period parties as a teenager.
Using this setting, they have crafted a thoughtful examination of identity and a coming of age story.
‘Period Parrrty’ is set in the aftermath of the Tamil atrocities in 2010 and the burning of the Jaffna Public Library – destroying many culturally important manuscripts.
All these issues are deeply felt by the writer. Produced by Kali Theatre and directed by Gitika Buttoo, it follows 15 year old Krish (Elizabeth Green) who doesn’t want a period party and needs to tell her mum that she is not a cis gendered girl but a non-binary person.
Krish is a serious teenager who feels deeply and their best friend is Brenavee (Tanvi Virman) and her mother is Brintha (Rani Moorthy).
But the party happens and life continues but at the core Krish remains dissatisfied.
Mostly the play centres on Krish finding a way to understand themselves and explain it to others especially Amma (their mother, Brintha).
All the performers are brilliant and it is great to see Rani Moorthy on stage after a long gap, as the totally concerned and proud parent trying to speak across the generation gap.
The story goes through different moments but focuses on Krish’s journey to discover how to deal with their non-binary self and get others to understand it.
They explore Tamil culture, as part of a school project and look to find words to describe queerness in Tamil.
Brenavee is their cis gendered female best friend from school who knows her friend very well and is there to support her unequivocally.
The set design by Katie Scott is a versatile space in pinks and green, which is at one moment the school loo, the bedroom and front pooja space. The lighting by Jahmiko Marshal is subtle with uses of purples and greens.
There are no dramatic big fight scenes but general teenage angst delicately and sensitively directed, alongside humour as Krish finally comes to terms with being able to tell Amma the truth about their self, while also discovering the true meaning of friendship.
Everyone has secrets in this play and in the moving scene between mother and daughter, we hear about mum’s anguish as a survivor of war.
In terms of structure, the approach is naturalism and inserts of recorded audio that is part of Krish’s project. There is also a direct monologue to audience, when mother tells Krish about the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009). These feel like insertions and are not fluidly integrated into the overarching narrative.
Despite these, this is, all in all, a fine production with strong acting and is a moving play.
ACV rating: **** (four out five)
The show continues until November 22 and there are many wrap around events that accompany and explore the themes raised in ‘Period Parrrty‘
Listing
‘Period Parrrty’ by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE
